Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.
Quick Navigation - Table of Contents
- Today's Puzzle Difficulty
- Across Clues Table (35 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (35 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Medium
Pro Tip: Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues - they're usually the easiest entry points!
Across Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | 1. Important figure on staff? | 4 |
| 2A | 5. Photographer's inits. | 3 |
| 3A | 8. "For real" | 5 |
| 4A | 13. Funky-smelling | 4 |
| 5A | 14. Sugar substitute? | 10 |
| 6A | 16. Within | 4 |
| 7A | 17. Core-focused workout in a humid room | 10 |
| 8A | 18. Unit of sound intensity | 3 |
| 9A | 19. Like Mitt Romney and Ken Jennings | 6 |
| 10A | 20. Lead-in to "coin" for a major cryptocurrency | 4 |
| 11A | 21. "Whew!" | 8 |
| 12A | 23. Whose fault your mistake might be | 6 |
| 13A | 25. Hybrid cat | 5 |
| 14A | 26. Member of a noble family | 5 |
| 15A | 28. Request after eating a habanero, perhaps | 4 |
| 16A | 29. What comes from needing little, per Epictetus | 6 |
| 17A | 31. Small dosage amts. | 3 |
| 18A | 34. Question posed at the end of a successful job interview | 15 |
| 19A | 37. Waze ways: Abbr. | 3 |
| 20A | 38. Spends a long time in front of the mirror, maybe | 6 |
| 21A | 39. Inkling | 4 |
| 22A | 40. Word with cane or corn | 5 |
| 23A | 41. Villainous expression | 5 |
| 24A | 42. Home to the Basilica of St. Clare | 6 |
| 25A | 45. Highly controlling? | 8 |
| 26A | 48. Like a golf course, regularly | 4 |
| 27A | 49. Snap, crackle and pop | 6 |
| 28A | 51. ___ Cup, tournament established in the 2020s | 3 |
| 29A | 52. "Never been better!" | 10 |
| 30A | 54. Site of a 1956 international conflict | 4 |
| 31A | 55. Animal chased by Toto in "The Wizard of Oz" | 10 |
| 32A | 56. Key in a chain | 4 |
| 33A | 57. Figure with three faces, in Dante | 5 |
| 34A | 58. Brief bit | 3 |
| 35A | 59. They're stretched out before some workouts | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Important figure on staff?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a musical notation written on a staff indicating the pitch of the notes following it
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLEF
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2A: "5. Photographer's inits."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3A: "8. "For real""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that in accordance with truth or fact or reality
- Similar words include: unfeignedly, genuinely, rightfully
- Opposite of: insincerely
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRULY
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4A: "13. Funky-smelling"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used
- Similar words include: good, right, mature
- Opposite of: green
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIPE
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5A: "14. Sugar substitute?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWEETIEPIE
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6A: "16. Within"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMID
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7A: "17. Core-focused workout in a humid room"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOTPILATES
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8A: "18. Unit of sound intensity"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a logarithmic unit of sound intensity equal to 10 decibels
- Similar words include: B
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEL
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9A: "19. Like Mitt Romney and Ken Jennings"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the ancient prophet whose writings were revealed to joseph smith who founded the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints
- Similar words include: Latter-Day Saint
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MORMON
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10A: "20. Lead-in to "coin" for a major cryptocurrency"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that formerly the chief magistrate in the republics of venice and genoa
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOGE
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11A: "21. "Whew!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLOSEONE
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12A: "23. Whose fault your mistake might be"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOONES
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13A: "25. Hybrid cat"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that offspring of a male lion and a female tiger
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIGER
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14A: "26. Member of a noble family"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a descendent or heir
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCION
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "28. Request after eating a habanero, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that largest known toad species; native to central america; valuable destroyer of insect pests
- Similar words include: agua toad, Bufo marinus
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGUA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16A: "29. What comes from needing little, per Epictetus"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money
- Similar words include: riches, wealthiness
- Opposite of: poverty
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WEALTH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "31. Small dosage amts."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that one thousandth (1/1,000) gram
- Similar words include: magnesium, milligram, atomic number 12
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MGS
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18A: "34. Question posed at the end of a successful job interview"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHENCANYOUSTART
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19A: "37. Waze ways: Abbr."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STS
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20A: "38. Spends a long time in front of the mirror, maybe"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that dress or groom with elaborate care
- Similar words include: dress, plume, preen
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PRIMPS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "39. Inkling"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
- Similar words include: mind, estimation, theme
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IDEA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "40. Word with cane or corn"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts
- Similar words include: glaze, confect, sugarcoat
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CANDY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "41. Villainous expression"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls
- Similar words include: leer
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SNEER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "42. Home to the Basilica of St. Clare"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASSISI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "45. Highly controlling?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place
- Similar words include: aviate, pilotage, fly
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PILOTING
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26A: "48. Like a golf course, regularly"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that cut with a blade or mower
- Similar words include: cut, cut down, mop
- Opposite of: unmown
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOWN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "49. Snap, crackle and pop"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
- Similar words include: make noise, resound, dissonance
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOISES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "51. ___ Cup, tournament established in the 2020s"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NBA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "52. "Never been better!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IFEELGREAT
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30A: "54. Site of a 1956 international conflict"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a city in northeastern egypt at the head of the gulf of suez and at the southern end of the suez canal
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SUEZ
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31A: "55. Animal chased by Toto in "The Wizard of Oz""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIAMESECAT
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32A: "56. Key in a chain"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small island
- Similar words include: islet
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISLE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "57. Figure with three faces, in Dante"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (judeo-christian and islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of god; tempter of mankind; master of hell
- Similar words include: Prince of Darkness, the Tempter, Old Nick
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SATAN
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34A: "58. Brief bit"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the systeme international d'unites
- Similar words include: second, Securities and Exchange Commission, unsweet
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEC
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35A: "59. They're stretched out before some workouts"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
- Similar words include: gym mat, matte, flatness
- Opposite of: unsnarl, disentangle
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MATS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Hard-shelled delicacies | 9 |
| 2D | 2. Public eye | 9 |
| 3D | 3. Written posts? | 9 |
| 4D | 4. Stoked | 3 |
| 5D | 5. Like some enemies | 5 |
| 6D | 6. "I need to get a word in!" | 15 |
| 7D | 7. Possible result of a default | 4 |
| 8D | 8. Before | 3 |
| 9D | 9. Not stop at the end of a chapter, say | 6 |
| 10D | 10. Suffragist Harriet Taylor ___ | 5 |
| 11D | 11. One doing the lord's work? | 5 |
| 12D | 12. Words of affirmation | 5 |
| 13D | 14. "Skedaddle!" | 4 |
| 14D | 15. Condition that can be caused by excess earwax | 8 |
| 15D | 19. Debussy's "La ___" | 3 |
| 16D | 22. Jay ___, singer of the 2009 #1 hit "Down" | 4 |
| 17D | 24. Sounds from fans | 4 |
| 18D | 27. Clip follower | 4 |
| 19D | 29. Some weather service messages | 8 |
| 20D | 30. "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma | 4 |
| 21D | 31. Label on some domestic products | 9 |
| 22D | 32. Eco-friendly area around a city | 9 |
| 23D | 33. Stares into space | 9 |
| 24D | 35. Ones doing balancing acts? | 4 |
| 25D | 36. Windows feature? | 4 |
| 26D | 40. Pictures | 6 |
| 27D | 41. Message that might be signaled with smoke | 3 |
| 28D | 42. Off | 5 |
| 29D | 43. European capital with layers of Thracian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history | 5 |
| 30D | 44. Beads for an athlete | 5 |
| 31D | 46. Director Lee ___ Chung | 5 |
| 32D | 47. Neighbor of an Estonian, historically | 4 |
| 33D | 50. They're sometimes picked for their rarity | 4 |
| 34D | 53. Wiseman who directed "Ballerina" and "Live Free or Die Hard" | 3 |
| 35D | 54. ___City | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Hard-shelled delicacies"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRABCLAWS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Public eye"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a focus of public attention
- Similar words include: calcium light, glare, spotlight
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIMELIGHT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Written posts?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a short speech (often in verse) addressed directly to the audience by an actor at the end of a play
- Similar words include: epilogue, epilog
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPILOGUES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Stoked"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any federal law-enforcement officer
- Similar words include: eat, feast, Federal Reserve System
- Opposite of: starve
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Like some enemies"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that utter obscenities or profanities
- Similar words include: depone, imprecate, affirm
- Opposite of: mistrust, unsworn
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWORN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. "I need to get a word in!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LETMESAYMYPIECE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Possible result of a default"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REPO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Before"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Not stop at the end of a chapter, say"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: READON
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Suffragist Harriet Taylor ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UPTON
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. One doing the lord's work?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
- Similar words include: feudatory, Luik, vassal
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIEGE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Words of affirmation"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an affirmative
- Similar words include: yes
- Opposite of: no
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YESES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "14. "Skedaddle!""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that drive away by crying `shoo!'
- Similar words include: shoo away, shoo off
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHOO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "15. Condition that can be caused by excess earwax"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a ringing or booming sensation in one or both ears; a symptom of an ear infection or meniere's disease
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TINNITUS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "19. Debussy's "La ___""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that denoting a quantity consisting of 1,000 items or units
- Similar words include: one thousand, k, thousand
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "22. Jay ___, singer of the 2009 #1 hit "Down""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "24. Sounds from fans"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that express admiration and pleasure by uttering `ooh' or `aah'
- Similar words include: aah, ooh
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OOHS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "27. Clip follower"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the sound of a horse's hoofs hitting on a hard surface
- Similar words include: clump, clumping, clip-clop
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLOP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "29. Some weather service messages"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a message informing of danger
- Similar words include: word of advice, warning, monition
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WARNINGS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "30. "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a town in north central oklahoma
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENID
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "31. Label on some domestic products"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MADEINUSA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "32. Eco-friendly area around a city"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a belt of parks or rural land surrounding a town or city
- Similar words include: greenway
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GREENBELT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "33. Stares into space"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that observe the stars
- Similar words include: woolgather, daydream, dream
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STARGAZES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "35. Ones doing balancing acts?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an accountant who has passed certain examinations and met all other statutory and licensing requirements of a united states state to be certified by that state
- Similar words include: CPA, certified public accountant
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CPAS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "36. Windows feature?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color
- Similar words include: tone, tinge, tincture
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TINT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "40. Pictures"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a medium that disseminates moving pictures
- Similar words include: film, picture palace, movie house
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CINEMA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "41. Message that might be signaled with smoke"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an internationally recognized distress signal in radio code
- Similar words include: soh, sol, so
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "42. Off"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that not functioning properly
- Similar words include: imperfectly, awry, haywire
- Opposite of: perfectly
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMISS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "43. European capital with layers of Thracian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that capital and largest city of bulgaria located in western bulgaria
- Similar words include: Bulgarian capital, Serdica
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOFIA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "44. Beads for an athlete"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that salty fluid secreted by sweat glands
- Similar words include: travail, lather, sudate
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWEAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "46. Director Lee ___ Chung"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (old testament) the second patriarch; son of abraham and sarah who was offered by abraham as a sacrifice to god; father of jacob and esau
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISAAC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "47. Neighbor of an Estonian, historically"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LETT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "50. They're sometimes picked for their rarity"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined
- Similar words include: ore
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "53. Wiseman who directed "Ballerina" and "Live Free or Die Hard""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "54. ___City"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Expert Solving Strategies
Start Smart
Begin with fill-in-the-blank clues and short 3-4 letter words. These are your foundation.
Decode the Clues
Question marks indicate wordplay or puns. "Maybe" suggests multiple interpretations.
Use Cross-References
Let intersecting letters guide you. One correct answer unlocks several others.
Build Vocabulary
Common crossword words repeat. Learning them speeds up future solving.
Today's Puzzle Stats
35 Across Clues
35 Down Clues
70 Total Clues
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